February 28, 2013 | 5:41 | Public Domain
This week, the President urged Congress to take a responsible approach to deficit reduction instead of the indiscriminate across-the-board spending cuts called the sequester. He also met with the Prime Minister of Japan, America's Governors, and the country's only all-black Ranger unit, and unveiled a truly moving monument to Rosa Parks.
This week, the President urged Congress to take a responsible approach to deficit reduction instead of the indiscriminate across-the-board spending cuts called the sequester. He also met with the Prime Minister of Japan, America's Governors, and the country's only all-black Ranger unit, and unveiled a truly moving monument to Rosa Parks.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
The White House
Office of the First Lady
Mrs. Obama’s visit to a Springfield, MO Walmart highlights that what’s good for kids and good for family budgets can also be good for business
Springfield, MO – As part of the celebration of the third anniversary of Let’s Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama today visited a Walmart in Springfield, MO to celebrate American companies that are committed to creating and selling healthy products. In doing so, these companies are showing the country that what’s good for kids and good for family budgets can also be good for business.
The Walmart store Mrs. Obama visited was built as part of the company’s Let’s Move! commitment to open or expand up to 300 stores in communities with limited access to healthy, affordable food.
Echoing what she wrote in an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, Mrs. Obama today said, “For years, the conventional wisdom said that healthy products simply didn’t sell – that the demand wasn’t there, that higher profits were found elsewhere, so it just wasn’t worth the investment. Thanks to Walmart and so many other great American businesses, we are proving the conventional wisdom wrong. Every day, with their success, these companies are showing us that what’s good for kids and good for family budgets can also be good for business.”
At today’s event with the First Lady, Walmart announced it has made significant progress in its efforts to make food healthier, and healthier food more affordable. In the first two years of their comprehensive, five-point effort to provide its customers with healthier and more affordable food, Walmart has saved their customers more than $2.3 billion on fresh fruit and vegetables and opened 86 stores in underserved communities. Walmart is also unveiling its “Great For You” icon – a front-of-package label, backed by rigorous nutrition criteria, designed to help customers quickly find healthier choices. More than 1,300 Walmart Great Value and Marketside items, as well as fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables have the icon.
“We are proud of the work we have done in the last two years to make it easier and more affordable for our customers to buy healthier food, and we know there is more work to do,” said Leslie Dach, executive vice president of corporate affairs at Walmart. “We applaud First Lady Michelle Obama’s continued leadership. Her passion is encouraging companies and organizations, like Walmart, to make continued progress that positively affects the health and wellness of the communities we serve.”
First Lady Michelle Obama was joined by local Springfield mom and teacher Stephanie Kennedy who, since adopting her grandchildren, realized she needed to make a change. During the last two years, she lost 70 pounds by eating healthier and is now trying to teach her students and grandchildren about the importance of eating healthy.
“As a mom of two young children, I shop for groceries on a tight budget,” said Kennedy. “If there’s a choice I can make that’s both less expensive and more nutritious, that’s a win for me and my family. It was an honor to share today with the First Lady– she inspired me to continue to make better choices for my family. It’s not every day you get to share your grocery list with the First Lady!”
The event was part of the First Lady’s three-city, two-day tour celebrating the three-year anniversary of the Let’s Move! campaign.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois
12:29 P.M. CST
MRS. OBAMA: Isn’t this exciting? (Applause.) Oh my goodness. Thank you, Serena, Allyson, thanks to all the athletes. And let me just tell you, I wanted to take a moment before we got into some fun, because I wanted to talk to you all -- I’m in my home town. (Applause.)
So listen up, just a little serious business because all of these incredible athletes you see here -- they have traveled here today to my home town because, like me, they wanted to be here with all of you amazing kids. We wanted you to know that there are millions -- do you hear me, millions -- of people like us all over this world who love you so much. We love you more than you can ever know. We love you so much. (Applause.)
And we care about you -- I want you to hear this -- we care about you. We care and believe in you. We believe that you have what it takes to accomplish anything that you want in this life. But we also want you to understand, and I want you all to listen, we want you to understand that the only difference between all of you all out there and all of us standing up here on this stage are the choices that you make in life.
It is so important for each of you to realize that every day you, and you alone, have the power to choose the life you want for yourself. Whether you spend your day watching TV or whether you use that time to pick up your books and finish your homework -- see, that’s your choice. Whether you fill your bodies with chips and candy or fruits and vegetables -- see, that’s on you. Whether you sit around all day playing video games or get up and move your bodies -- these are all the choices that will determine who you will become and what you can achieve.
See, every one of these great athletes standing with me today had to make good choices, and they had to work hard to get where they are. See, what you guys have to understand -- they weren’t just born faster or stronger or smarter. And maybe it’s hard for you to believe, but many of us didn’t have it easy growing up. I mean, some of us are from tough neighborhoods where we had to watch our backs. Or we went to schools where the books were torn and the lockers were beat up and stuff didn’t always work. Yes, some of us grew up without a father -- or we saw people we loved involved with gangs and drugs. And it was a struggle to get each other’s backs and hang together as a family.
And let me tell you, I can tell you that growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money. We live in a little bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago. (Applause.) South Side. (Applause.) And for most of my life growing up, I shared a tiny bedroom with my big brother. And some nights, let me tell you, it was hard to get my homework done because it was so noisy that I could barely think. And I know some of you know what that’s like, right?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: So it was hard. So there were times when I started to doubt myself. In fact, a lot of us up on this stage grew up being told by others that we weren’t good enough or smart enough to achieve our dreams. We all heard that, right? So if you guys remember just one thing from our time today, it’s this: Although I am the First Lady of the United States of America -- (applause) -- listen to this, because this is the truth -- I am no different from you. (Applause.)
Look, I grew up in the same neighborhoods, went to the same schools, faced the same struggles, shared the same hopes and dreams that all of you share. I am you. And the only reason that I am standing up here today is that back when I was your age, I made a set of choices with my life -- do you hear me -- choices.
I chose not to listen to the doubters and the haters. (Applause.) I chose to shut those voices out of my head and listen to my own voice. I chose to ignore any negative things that were happening around me, and instead focus on all the wonderful things I had going on inside of me. I chose to focus on what I could control.
So let me tell you what I did. I worked hard in school to get good grades. I listened to my teachers. I behaved in school. I learned from everyone and everything around me. I stayed active. I didn’t do -- I did everything that I could to keep my body healthy and fit. I did everything within my power to prepare myself for great things. And eventually all of my work paid off -- I went to college, I want to law school. And because I had a good education, I could get a good job so that my family wouldn’t have to worry about money and I could live in a house where my daughters could have their own rooms.
And the lesson I learned along the way is that it did not matter where I was from. It didn’t matter how much my parents had. What mattered was how hard I was willing to work, and how deeply I was willing to believe in myself. (Applause.)
And one of the main reasons I wanted all of you to be here today with us is that that is true for every single one of the folks up on this stage here today. They can tell you that there is no magic to their achievements. No one waved a wand and turned these folks into champions. They turned themselves into champions by doing the hard work, getting their education, exercising every day, eating healthy, practicing their skills over and over and over again.
And we’re all here today to tell you that you can do the same thing. Do you hear me -- you all can do the same thing. (Applause.) You all have every reason to be hopeful about your future. Don’t let anybody tell you differently. You all can make yourselves into somebody that you’re proud of. You have it in you. You can be anything you want -- whether it’s a doctor, a teacher, a scientist, or, yes, President of the United States. You all can do that. (Applause.)
You can make your family proud of who you are and who you become. And I have the secret. Do you want to hear the secret?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: You have to get a good education. Do you hear me -- you have to get a good education. That is the most important thing that you can do for yourselves right now. And that means that you have to go to school every day -- every single day no matter what you’re school looks like or what’s going on there, you have to be sitting at your desks, ready to learn. You’ve got one job at this age and that is to be the best student that you can be. (Applause.)
So listen to your teachers. Do your homework -- and not just when you feel like it, but every day, no matter what’s happening in your life. Remember, no one is born smart. You become smart through hard work. The more you read, the more you do math, the smarter you become. So every single one of you can become smart if you’re willing to put the work in.
And finally, you guys need to take care of your bodies. You have to. That means you have to eat the right foods. It’s not a joke, it’s not a game -- foods that will make you strong and give you energy. You’ve got to eat fruits. You’ve got to eat vegetables. You’ve got to use those meals, those good foods you’re getting now in your schools every single day.
And you have to be active, guys. You listen to me -- you’ve got to turn off the TV, move away from the screen. (Applause.) You’ve got to keep your body active, even if that means just turning on some music and dancing for an hour. Do a little dougie, a few jumping jacks, some push-ups. And you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to be healthy. You just have to move. That’s how you’ll prepare your bodies and your minds for greatness.
You know what -- and now it’s time for the serious stuff to end, okay? Did you all hear all the message that I had for you?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: You all promise me that you’re going to be good students.
AUDIENCE: We promise!
MRS. OBAMA: You all promise me that you’re going to eat right.
AUDIENCE: We promise!
MRS. OBAMA: You promise me you’re going to get moving.
AUDIENCE: We promise!
MRS. OBAMA: And we’re going to start right here and right now. (Applause.) These champions are going to lead the way by showing us how to get moving. So let’s have some fun. Are you ready? (Applause.) All right, let’s move! (Applause.)
END
12:40 P.M. CST
Ed. note: This op-ed by First Lady Michelle Obama was first published by the Wall Street Journal
For years, America's childhood obesity crisis was viewed as an insurmountable problem, one that was too complicated and too entrenched to ever really solve. According to the conventional wisdom, healthy food simply didn't sell—the demand wasn't there and higher profits were found elsewhere—so it just wasn't worth the investment.
But thanks to businesses across the country, today we are proving the conventional wisdom wrong. Every day, great American companies are achieving greater and greater success by creating and selling healthy products. In doing so, they are showing that what's good for kids and good for family budgets can also be good for business.
Take the example of Wal-Mart. In just the past two years, the company reports that it has cut the costs to its consumers of fruits and vegetables by $2.3 billion and reduced the amount of sugar in its products by 10%. Wal-Mart has also opened 86 new stores in underserved communities and launched a labeling program that helps customers spot healthy items on the shelf. And today, the company is not only seeing increased sales of fresh produce, but also building better relationships with its customers and stronger connections to the communities it serves.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois
11:41 A.M. CST
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. I am thrilled to be here today as we launch Let’s Move Active Schools –- this unprecedented effort to bring physical education back to America’s schools.
And I want to start by recognizing Secretary Duncan, Mayor Emanuel, Jim Gavin, Allyson Felix. I want to thank you all for your extraordinary leadership and for taking the time to join us here today.
I also want to thank the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, who are working with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition to launch this new effort. (Applause.) Absolutely. Yay. Well done.
And of course, I want to thank Nike and their CEO Mark Parker for their groundbreaking investments and passionate engagement to make all of this possible. And I also want to recognize Child Obesity 180, GenYouth, and Kaiser Permanente. Thank you all, thank you so much for your tremendous support. This is a groundbreaking, earth-shattering, awesomely-inspiring day. (Applause.)
And finally, I want to thank all of you. All of you, yes -- our educators, administrators, community leaders and parents who work hard every day on behalf of our children. You all know better than anyone else just how critical physical activity is for our children’s health and well-being. And you also know that today, we are nowhere near giving our kids the opportunities they need to be active.
Only one in three of our kids is active every day -- just one in three of our kids. And as Secretary Duncan said, that’s not just bad for their bodies, it’s also bad for their minds, because being less active can actually hurt kids’ academic performance as well.
The other thing we know is that it hasn’t always been this way. Just think back to what things were like when all of us old people were kids. Now, I grew up just a few miles from where we are today, over on the South Side. You guys know my background -- my family certainly wasn’t rich. Our neighborhood was just barely working-class. I attended public schools all through kindergarten all the way up through high school.
But my brother Craig and I, we had countless opportunities to be active every single day. We played freeze tag on the playground before school. I jumped double-dutch -- still can, actually -- at recess. We played softball. My brother played on hoops at a high school, basketball, every day after school.
And during the summer, we were regulars at the Chicago Park District day camp, where the highlight of that summer experience was a big Olympics competition at the end of the summer where we got medals and ribbons. It was amazing.
Back then, being active was a way of life. We were up and moving every single day, throughout the entire day. And the activities we did didn’t just teach us how to shoot or catch or sprint. Basketball helped my brother develop the discipline and focus that put him on the path to college –- a path that I would later follow.
Now, for me, playing sports taught me how to be part of a team, taught me how to be aggressive, how to compete and win -– which were important lessons for a young girl, especially back then. So for me and my brother and for so many other young people, being active was important –- not just for our health, but for our success in school and in life.
But times have changed. Our kids spend about half their waking hours in school. But today, due to budget cuts and limited resources, many schools simply can’t afford the activities we all took for granted when we were growing up. And I know that with each passing year, it feels like it’s just getting harder to find the time, and the money, and the will to help our kids be active.
But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we should stop trying –- it means we should try harder. It means that all of us –- not just educators, but businesses and non-profits and ordinary citizens –- we all need to dig a little deeper, start getting even more creative.
And that’s what Let’s Move Active Schools is all about. It’s about all of us coming together to once again make being active a way of life for our kids. And it’s about showing our kids that being active is fun. How about a little fun? Because when kids have early, positive experiences with physical activity, that sets them on the course for life, shaping their habits not just when they’re young, but as adults, as well. And once we’ve gotten our kids excited about being active, then we need to give them opportunities to be active every day, throughout the day.
Now fortunately, it really doesn’t take much to get our kids moving. See, that’s the thing. It doesn’t take much. You don’t need to invest tens of thousands of dollars in new sports leagues or fancy equipment. You don’t need to find hours each day for recess and gym if that’s not possible. Quality physical education comes in all different forms, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
But what it does take is leadership. That’s why we want to do everything we can to help leaders like all of you find solutions that work for your students and your communities. Because we know what you all are capable of.
Teachers in Elk Grove Village in Illinois start off every day with 20 minutes of kickboxing or cardio activities. They have regular “brain breaks” where kids get up and they're moving throughout the day.
In Natick, Massachusetts, parents came together and organized a physical activity program that meets in the morning before classes event get started, and teachers support, and also report, that kids in this program are more confident, they're showing that they are more attentive in class, and they're have better academic performance.
So whether it’s organizing dance flashmobs between classes, or an afterschool running club, or finding ways to incorporate physical activity into lessons throughout the day, the possibilities here are truly endless. And the need is truly urgent. And that’s something that I really want to emphasize today.
You see, this is about so much more than keeping our kids physically active. And it’s about more than making sure that they do well in school. I mean, this is about giving our kids the structure and support they need to thrive in every single aspect of their lives. It’s about giving them something to strive for, something to hope for, somewhere to belong. And physical activity is a critical part of that broader effort.
I often ask myself -- I ask myself this all the time -- where would I have been without all those activities that kept me safe and busy and off the streets? Where would my brother have been without the confidence and focus he learned playing basketball? Where would all of us be without the adults in our lives who pushed us, and nurtured us –- the folks who gave us opportunities to learn and grow and fulfill every one of our God-given potential?
That’s really what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about our responsibility to do all of that for the next generation, our kids. And that’s why all of you are here today. And make no mistake about it, you all are the ones who will determine whether this new initiative is successful.
And I know you can’t do this all on your own. I know that you all are facing so many constraints and juggling so many demands already, and lots of times there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to done. But that’s why Nike and all these other organizations here today have stepped up. They know your challenges.
They’ve invested their energy and resources and staff to give you the tools you need to make this happen. They’re offering grant money. They’re offering training. They’re offering technical assistance. So today, anyone in any community can become a champion to bring physical education back to their school.
So if you’re an educator, especially a physical education teacher, we need you to serve as one of those champions and rally support from your community. If you’re a principal or a superintendent, we need you to spread the word about this program and support the champions in your schools, encourage them to innovate and experiment. If you’re a parent, remember, you can serve as a champion yourself. And even if you don’t, you can play a critical role at home by pushing your kids to be active.
As you've heard, our goal is ambitious -- it's to reach 50,000 schools all across this country. So we're going to need everyone on board, because the stakes simply could not be higher. You see that every day -- all of you see it in your classrooms and in your communities. I see it everywhere I go, all across the country, every time I meet with our young people.
Every single one of these kids is special. They're all special. Every child I meet has the potential to contribute something amazing; to succeed in a job, to raise a family of their own, to give back to their community and to their country. Every child has that potential. But the fact is, it’s up to us as the grown-ups in the room to help them fulfill that potential.
It’s up to us to bring out the very best in all -- do you hear me -- all of our young people. That is our moral obligation to our children. That’s how we show them that we believe in them, and that’s how we teach them to believe in themselves.
It's also our patriotic obligation to this country. It’s how we raise the next generation of workers and innovators and leaders who will continue to make America the greatest nation on earth. That’s why these companies and organizations have stepped up to support all of you in this vitally important work.
And now, we need you to commit to making this work in your schools and communities. And once you do that -- and I know you will, I can feel it -- we need you to use your platforms as education leaders to reach out to other schools and other school districts. Share ideas and best practices, give them the encouragement they need to succeed as well.
And if we all do that, if we put in the time and energy and the imagination, then I am confident that together, we'll be able to give all of our children everything they need to lead the happy, healthy lives they truly deserve.
We are so proud of you all. We are proud of this effort. We are grateful to you all for your work and your focus on our kids. Thank you so much, and God bless.
END
11:54 A.M. CST
The White House
Office of the First Lady
Mrs. Obama calls for school champions to sign up at LetsMoveSchools.org to help all students get active, sets ambitious goal of engaging 50,000 schools in the next five years and praises range of partners, including a $50 million investment from NIKE, Inc.
Chicago, IL – First Lady Michelle Obama today launched Let’s Move! Active Schools – an unprecedented collaboration to bring physical activity back to America’s schools. The program provides simple steps and tools to help schools create active environments where students get 60 minutes of physical activity before, during and after the school day. Mrs. Obama called on school staff, families and communities to work together to reach an ambitious goal of engaging 50,000 schools in this program over the next five years.
The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD) and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation are the managing organizations guiding the development and implementation of the program.
Funding and other resources for Let’s Move! Active Schools are being kick-started by NIKE, Inc., the GENYOUth Foundation, ChildObesity180, Kaiser Permanente, and the General Mills Foundation, the inaugural sponsor of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. Over the next five years, NIKE, Inc. will invest $50 million in the U.S. to increase the physical activity of kids in schools and communities as well as target advocacy efforts to inspire kids and draw additional resources to this important effort. Collectively, the other groups are committing over $20 million to help America’s schools engage all students in quality physical activity.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Education will continue to support both physical and nutrition education in schools by realigning its $80 million Carol M. White Physical Education Program (“PEP”) to prioritize schools most in need and support applicants with plans to maximize their reach by building cost effective, sustainable programs.
Let’s Move! Active Schools combines effective elements of existing programs and draws on new resources to provide customized support for schools to encourage physical activity. The program mobilizes physical education teachers, classroom teachers, administrators, staff, and even parents to be “school champions” for their community. School champions are encouraged to sign up at LetsMoveSchools.org, where they will be guided along a simple, six-step process. Participating schools will have access to free tools and resources, including in-person trainings, program activation grants, and direct, personal assistance from certified professionals.
“With each passing year, schools feel like it’s just getting harder to find the time, the money, and the will to help our kids be active. But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we should stop trying – it means we should try harder. It means that all of us – not just educators, but businesses and non-profits and ordinary citizens – we all need to dig deeper and start getting even more creative,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “That’s what Let’s Move! Active Schools is all about – it’s about all of us coming together to once again make being active a way of life for our kids. And with today’s announcement, anyone, in any community, can become a champion to bring physical education back to their school.”
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, children and adolescents need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day to stay healthy. Regular physical activity enhances important skills, like concentration and problem solving, which have been shown to improve academic performance. However, kids today are the most sedentary generation in America’s history. Only 1 in 3 children is active on a daily basis and only 4% of elementary schools, 8% of middle schools and 2% of high schools offer daily P.E.. Meanwhile, only 9 states require recess in elementary schools.
Kids spend a significant portion of their time in school, which is why the First Lady is focusing this initiative on the school environment as a key place to increase access to quality physical activity, so that all students can stay healthy and reach their potential. Let’s Move! Active Schools is designed to make this work easier for schools by recommending evidence-based, free or low-cost solutions and providing ongoing support to every school that signs up. Let’s Move! Active Schools also calls on parents and community members to build support for active lifestyles and help schools make movement a part of every student’s day.
The First Lady was joined by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker, Serena Williams, Gabby Douglas, Allyson Felix, Bo Jackson, Colin Kaepernick, Sarah Reinertsen, Ashton Eaton, Paul Rodriguez, Dominique Dawes, and Bob Harper. Thousands of Chicago area students and teachers participated in the launch event at McCormick Place.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the program’s leading federal partner. As part of Let’s Move! Active Schools, PCFSN will promote and scale up the new Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP). To maximize reach and implementation of the PYFP in schools, the General Mills Foundation has committed $10 Million to support opportunities for schools to utilize the program
“Children need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day where they live, learn and play. With youth spending six to seven hours in school daily, schools are a great place to get kids moving. With the launch of this initiative, we are confident that schools will have the tools, resources, and support they need to inspire their students to be physically active for a lifetime.”
- U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius
Since 2001, the Department of Education has awarded more than $785 million to schools through its Carol M. White Physical Education Program (“PEP”). During the Obama Administration, PEP has been significantly improved to promote innovations in the field. Earlier this week, the Department of Education announced a new series of changes to PEP for fiscal year 2013. The improved PEP encourages proposals designed around evidence-based best practices, and prioritizes addressing the persistently lowest-achieving schools. In addition, the program now integrates the Presidential Youth Fitness Program by including new performance measures based on moving students into the healthy fitness zone in 6 critical fitness areas.
“Good health is not an add-on to a good education. Our children need to be healthy to be prepared to learn, and we know active students are better able to engage in the classroom and excel academically. We need more of our schools creating environments that promote physical activity and play and encourage our students to get moving.”
- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
As a managing organization for Let’s Move! Active Schools, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD) will work to recruit individual champions, provide customized support to schools, and facilitate the training of at least 20,000 school Physical Activity Leaders over the next 5 years.
“Physical educators have always known that children are designed to move. Now through Let’s Move! Active Schools, we are thrilled to elevate our efforts in increasing physical activity before, during and after school to a larger national stage. Our role will be to provide professional development training so that physical educators will create even more early, positive experiences for all children. We want physical activity to become an integral part of their daily lives.”
- AAHPERD CEO E. Paul Roetert
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, whose Healthy Schools Program works with 15,000 schools across the country, played a critical role in the development of Let’s Move! Active Schools. Alongside AAHPERD and PCFSN, the Alliance will host the 6-step process, facilitate direct technical assistance to participating schools, and lead recognition efforts for schools that have created active environments.
“The Alliance is honored to serve as a managing partner of Let’s Move! Active Schools. We embrace and understand the importance of reintegrating physical activity into young people’s lives. Since 2006, the Alliance has supported schools to implement the evidence-based, Six Steps to a Healthier School, the roadmap to making school health changes, where schools continuously take a status check, work on making improvements, learn from successes and challenges and keep pushing the needle forward.”
- Ginny Ehrlich D. Ed
Over the next five years, NIKE, Inc. will invest $50 million to get American kids physically active. As part of this commitment, Nike is supporting Let’s Move! Active Schools by focusing resources on getting kids active before, during and after school. In addition, Nike’s efforts will include developing access to sport in our communities and broadening the community of partners focused on this important issue.
“Today’s announcement is part of Nike’s long-term commitment to help our nation’s youth lead more active and healthy lives. All kids deserve a chance to realize their full potential and we believe creating active schools will help kids do better in school and most importantly in life.”
- NIKE, Inc. President and CEO Mark Parker
ChildObesity180 will provide “Acceleration Grants” totaling $1 million and innovative curricula to at least 1,000 school champions in 2013 to get them started on the path to becoming a Let’s Move! Active School. These resources will scale up model programs identified last year through the Active Schools Acceleration Project. Over the next three years, ChildObesity180 will invest up to $3 million to grow and expand quality school-based physical activity programs.
“ChildObesity180 is thrilled to collaborate with Let’s Move! Active Schools and the Partnership for a Healthier America, and bring innovative and flexible physical activity programs to America’s schools. We believe this work will further our shared goal of reversing the childhood obesity epidemic.”
- Christina D. Economos, PhD, Vice-Chair and Director of ChildObesity180, Associate Professor at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and a leading researcher in the field of childhood obesity prevention
The GENYOUth Foundation will dedicate $9 million over the next 5 years to help at least 5,000 schools implement quality physical activity programs through Fuel Up to Play 60 grants. Through these direct grants, GENYOUth will encourage schools to complete the Let’s Move! Active Schools program and empower students of all ages to be leaders for physical activity.
“GENYOUth believes that active and healthy students are better students and schools need our help. Through our flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP 60) – developed by the National Dairy Council and the NFL – more than 73,000 schools are taking action to improve nutrition and physical activity. More than 3,000 schools have benefited from over $10 million in FUTP 60 mini-grants to jump start healthy changes. We are proud to be a part of Let’s Move! Active Schools and join forces with other leading organizations to ignite further support for healthy school environments.”
- GENYOUth CEO, Alexis Glick
In partnership with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and the National PTA, Kaiser Permanente is launching “Fire Up Your Feet,” an innovative program that helps teachers, parents, and administrators get students moving before, during, and after the school day. The program also helps schools conduct healthy fundraisers that promote walking, biking and other types of physical activity. Over the next three years, Kaiser Permanente will invest $1.76 million to make this program available to every elementary and middle school in the country, and to provide an opportunity to compete for challenge awards to 11,000 elementary and middle schools in communities served by Kaiser Permanente.
“Every child deserves a chance to be active during the day. It’s good for kids’ health, and it's good for their learning. At Kaiser Permanente, we do all we can to help children live healthy and active lives through extensive work in the community and collaborative partnerships. That's why we are excited to be part of this important initiative.”
-Raymond J. Baxter, senior vice president, Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy
As the nonprofit partner of Let’s Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) played a key role in convening the organizations represented here to develop the concept for Let’s Move! Active Schools and make commitments to support its long-term success.
"The Partnership for a Healthier America is proud to be a part of this effort to end physical inactivity across the country. Today's announcement is an opportunity to change our kids' futures, it is a chance to make sure they do not live shorter lives than their parents. But with a challenge this big, no single company or organization can solve it alone. PHA is honored to be among such leaders in this effort and we look forward to the strides this group will undoubtedly make."
-PHA President and CEO Larry Soler
The White House
Office of the First Lady
The full text of the op-ed by First Lady Michelle Obama is printed below. The piece is published today in The Wall Street Journal and can be found HERE.
The Business Case for Healthier Food Options
By First Lady Michelle Obama
For years, America's childhood obesity crisis was viewed as an insurmountable problem, one that was too complicated and too entrenched to ever really solve. According to the conventional wisdom, healthy food simply didn't sell—the demand wasn't there and higher profits were found elsewhere—so it just wasn't worth the investment.
But thanks to businesses across the country, today we are proving the conventional wisdom wrong. Every day, great American companies are achieving greater and greater success by creating and selling healthy products. In doing so, they are showing that what's good for kids and good for family budgets can also be good for business.
Take the example of Wal-Mart. In just the past two years, the company reports that it has cut the costs to its consumers of fruits and vegetables by $2.3 billion and reduced the amount of sugar in its products by 10%. Wal-Mart has also opened 86 new stores in underserved communities and launched a labeling program that helps customers spot healthy items on the shelf. And today, the company is not only seeing increased sales of fresh produce, but also building better relationships with its customers and stronger connections to the communities it serves.
Wal-Mart isn't alone in discovering that healthier products sell. Disney is eliminating ads for junk foods from its children's programming and improving the food served in Disney theme parks. Walgreens is adding fresh fruits and vegetables to its stores in underserved communities. And restaurants around the country are cutting calories, fat and sodium from menus and offering healthier kids' meals.
These companies and so many others are responding to clear trends in consumer demand. Today, 82% of consumers feel that it's important for companies to offer healthy products that fit family budgets, according to the Edelman public relations firm. Meanwhile, a study conducted by Nielsen revealed that even when many families are operating on tight budgets, sales of fresh produce actually increased by 6% in 2012. And in 2011, the Hudson Institute reported that in recent years, healthier foods have generated more than 70% of the growth in sales for consumer packaged-goods companies—and when these companies sell a high percentage of healthier foods, they deliver significantly higher returns to their shareholders.
These trends don't just matter for businesses that produce and sell food. They matter for every business in America. We spend $190 billion a year treating obesity-related health conditions like diabetes and heart disease, and a significant portion of those costs are borne by America's businesses. That's on top of other health-related costs like higher absenteeism and lower worker productivity, costs that will continue to rise and threaten the vitality of American businesses until this problem is solved once and for all.
That's why American businesses are stepping up to invest in building a healthier future for our kids. In doing so, they are joining leaders from every sector across the country. Over the past few years, through Let's Move!—our nationwide campaign to help kids grow up healthy—we've seen teachers bringing physical education back into schools. We've seen mayors building safe spaces where children can play, faith leaders educating their congregations about healthy eating, and parents preparing healthier meals and snacks for their kids. And we've seen Republicans and Democrats working together in Congress to pass groundbreaking legislation to improve school lunches.
And we're starting to see real results. In Mississippi, obesity rates have dropped by 13% for elementary school-aged kids. States like California, and cities like New York and Philadelphia, have also seen measurable declines in childhood obesity.
So it's clear that we are moving in the right direction. But we also know that the problem is nowhere near being solved. We need more leaders from all across the country to step up, and I stand ready to work with business leaders who are serious about taking meaningful steps to forge a healthier future. We need every business in America to dig deeper, get more creative, and find new ways to generate revenue by giving American families better information and healthier choices. We know this can be done in a way that's good for our kids and good for businesses.
That's why, even though we still have a long way to go, I have never been more optimistic about our prospects for solving this problem. And I am confident that, with leadership from America's business community, we can give all our children the bright, healthy futures they so richly deserve.
Mrs. Obama is the first lady of the United States.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
2:08 P.M. CST
MRS. OBAMA: Good afternoon, everyone. I am beyond thrilled to be back here in Mississippi. And I want to start by thanking Emma. I mean, first of all, I know she’s glad that's over. (Laughter.) Now she can actually enjoy this visit. But she did an outstanding job. I mean, just to hear her be able to articulate what good health and solid eating and strong programs and support from her school -- just the intelligence and the eloquence with which she spoke -- this is the reason why we do this. And we're very proud of Emma and her family, and all of the students and faculty who have worked so hard to make life better for so many of our kids. So let’s give them a round of applause. (Applause.) Very proud of her.
And I also want to -- you all, please be seated. (Laughter.) That's not part of Let’s Move. (Laughter.) I could make you do some stuff, but you all rest. You’ve done the work. We're here to recognize you. Thanks so much.
But to Dr. Lynn House, to Dr. Phil Burchfield, and to all of the partners -- because there are many who have made this success possible -- I want to thank them for their work.
And of course, I want to thank Rachael Ray, who is here and who -- there she is in the back. She’s getting ready to cook and run around and do great stuff. Rachael has been such an important voice and advocate for making sure that our kids and our communities just eat healthy. So I'm thrilled that she has come here with me to Mississippi to help celebrate your accomplishments. Let’s give Rachael a round of applause. (Applause.)
Now, as you probably know, there’s a reason why I wanted to come here to this state for the very first day of our Let's Move anniversary tour. And that’s because what’s happening here in Mississippi is really what Let's Move is all about. It’s the story of what you all have achieved here that we want to tell. It’s the story we want to be telling in every state all across this country.
And I remember what things were like back when I visited here just three years ago. Mississippi had been declared the most obese state in America. And a lot of people thought that childhood obesity was an impossible problem. They thought it was too big, too complicated, and too entrenched for any of us to ever really be able to make a difference on this issue. But, fortunately, all of you here in this room had a different view on things.
Under the leadership of your former governor, folks across this state had already started stepping up to tackle this challenge head on. Your state legislature passed a law bringing more hours of physical activity and health education into your classrooms. Your state Board of Education set new standards for food and drinks in our school vending machines.
Your schools did hard work. They replaced their fryers with steamers -- hallelujah. (Applause.) And started serving more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, as Emma talked about. All of our phenomenal teachers and parents joined school health councils and wellness committees. Universities started educating families about healthy eating. Faith communities ran summer nutrition programs for children, and some even declared their congregations “no-fry zones” where only healthy food was allowed.
And today, with all that work, with all those people stepping up, the results of these efforts speak for themselves. In recent years, the state of Mississippi has seen obesity rates drop 13 percent among elementary school-aged kids. (Applause.) Yes, congratulations. In a few short years, 13 percent. Just think about that for a minute, what that means for kids in this state. I know you all know because you're doing this work because you care about our kids.
That means that tens of thousands of children here in Mississippi are getting the healthy start to their lives that they need. They’ve got more energy as a result. They’re at lower risk for diseases like diabetes and heart disease and cancer. And they’ve got more of the nutrition they need to succeed in school, which is crucial for them to be able to succeed in life, which is our ultimate goal for them.
So these are major, major achievements. And I know that getting to this point hasn’t been easy. I know that a lot of folks had to put in a lot of time and effort to make all this possible. And I’m particularly proud of all of the school chefs, the food service workers at schools like this one all across this state, and all across this country.
And I want to take time to recognize those folks in the kitchen who do the hard work of cooking for our kids and loving every minute of it. When we passed historic legislation to improve school lunches for the first time in 15 years, these were the folks who had to totally transform their menus in a matter of months. They went from frying to baking. They had to work with totally new ingredients. And they had to satisfy both strict nutrition requirements and, as we know, picky eaters. Anybody at home, you know what they were going through.
So they have had to be creative and do a whole lot of trial and error. But they kept at it. And they kept at it for one simple reason -- as I said, because they love our kids. And in the end, more than anything else, that is what drives Let's Move -- our love for our children. That’s what this effort is all about. It’s about all of us coming together to give our kids everything they need -- everything they need -- to learn and grow, and fulfill their God-given potential.
And as we can see right here in Mississippi, when we do that, when we take that love and turn it into action and we all step up and do our part, we can actually solve this problem. We can actually see real, measurable declines in the rates of childhood obesity. We’ve seen that right here in Mississippi. We’ve seen it in other places. We've seen it in Philadelphia. We’ve seen it in New York City. We've seen it in the state of California. So there’s no reason why this success can’t happen in cities and states all across the country -- if we’re willing to work for it.
So now is the time for us to truly double down on these efforts. We know what works. We're seeing it right here. We know how to get results. Now we just need to keep stepping up. Now we just need to keep putting the energy and the effort and the imagination behind all of this work.
That’s what all of you have done here in Mississippi. So I'm here to say, Mississippi, thank you. Thank you so much. Congratulations on your work. Thank you for taking the lead on this issue. Thank you for serving as an inspiration for states and communities across this country. And thank you for your hard work, day in and day out, to give all of our children the happy, healthy futures they so richly deserve.
So now we're going to have some fun. We're going to have a Let's Move cafeteria cook-off. We're going to put this excitement into action. And I'm going to spend some time with I hope a room full of excited kids. So, thank you, guys. And let’s have some fun now. Take care. (Applause.)
END 2:16 P.M. CST
